Wood-drying machine.



A.A. DENTON; WOOD DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0. 1917- PatentedAug. 6,1918.

INVENTOR JLZTZ lie/770m ATTORN EY lnlm. wAsnmcmm nv c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT A. BENTON, on EAGLE RIVER, WISCONSIN.-

woon-nnYme MACHINE.

Application filed February 10, 1917. Serial No. 147,841. 1

To all whom it may concern: i Be it known that I, ALBERT A. DENTON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Eagle River, in the countyof Vilas and- State of WVisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Wood Drying Machines, of which the following is aspecification. V

This 1nvent1on relates to oughly drying chips of wood preparatory to theprocess of converting them'into paper pulp. 1

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a series ofinterconnected cylinders to which the chips are'passedswhile the deviceis in operation,- the cylinders being associated with a heating elementso that the interiors of the cylinders will thoroughly agitate and drythe chips while they are passing through the cylinders.

Another object of the invention is to 'pro-' vide a series of cylindersadapted to receive the chips, the cylinders being exteriorly; heatedandassociated with interior screwconveyers mounted upon hollow shaftsthrough which steam may be passed for heating the. conveyers and the:interiors of the cylinders. v

A further object of this invention is the provision of a wood dryingmachine which consists of comparatively few parts and is simple inconstruction, but durable and well adapted to withstand the rough usageto which devices of'this character are ordi narily subjected. 1 I

For a full description of the invention and the advantages and meritsthereof, reference is to be had to the following descrip-{ tion and theaccompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated the my invention, inwhich; a 1 Figure 1 isa side elevation'of the device showing parts ofthe cylinders broken away to disclose the interior. i V

Fig.2is an endele'vation. a

Fig. 3 is adetail section through onei of the cylinders. Referring tothe ence indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views,-itwill be observed that the drying device is arranged in .close proximityto. the chipping machine A only Specification ofLetters Patent.

a Wood drying machine and the primary object of them- Vention is toprovide a device for .thorpreferred form of fate cylinder 8 areinterconnected at: their drawing, wherein =1 illustrated the preferredform ofmy inven-L tion, and in which like numerals of refer.-

Patented Aug. 6 1918.

portion of which is shown in the drawmg. Any suitable conveyer B isarranged for receiving the chips from the chipping machine A so that thechips may be elevated to a sufiicient height whereby they may bereceived in the drying machine. End standards'l and 2 are provided withsuitable bearings for receiving the ends of the 'shafts' 3, 4: and 5.Each shaft is provided with a screw conveyer 6 for conveying the chipsthrough the cylinders from' one'end to the other. Three cylinders 7,

8 and 9,,are mounted upon the shafts 3, e l

and 5 respectively. iThe'interior' diameter of each cylinder is slightlygreater than porting the cylinder on its corresponding shaft. Thecylinders, hollow shafts and screw shafts are connected to the cylindersby the spokes 10 at each end thereof. Mounted upon the exterior of eachcylinder at conveyers revolve. simultaneously when the cylinders are'rotatedsince the the dia neter of the screwconveyer within thecylinder. 'Each open end of each'cylinder is provided with spokes 10 forsup-' one end thereof is a gear 11' and the teeth" of these gears are'in mesh with each other L so that when a rotary motion is imparted, l toone of the cylinders all of the c'ylinders' Wlll be rotated. 5

Steam pipes 12' having free endsf closed are extended through thelongitudi nal space provided between the cylinders and these pipes areconnected to a supply pipe l3 so that steam -maybe suppliedto the pipes12' for"h'eating the cylinders. The free ends of the pipes 12 are cappedas indicated at 12.in Fig. 1. In this connection it is pointed out thatany other suitable heating element'maybe employedfor heating thecylinders.

Theupper cylinder 7 and the intermediends by a conveying duct 14. Theoppo supporting 'straps'li' and 15 and have 7 their ends in registrationwith the ends of the cylinders but are not connected thereto.

.This permits the cylinders to revolve while discharged I chips from thecylinders may pass into the stationary ducts as the chips at the sametime, to revolve when the cylinders are rotated.

A plurality of longitudinally extending cleats 16 are mounted uponthe'inner wall of each cylinder as, clearly shown by Fig. 3 of thedrawing. These cleats engage the chips and are intended to tossthe chipsabout within the cylinder so that they will be thoroughly agitated forfacilitating the drying process. While the cleats are agitating thechips within the cylinders, the conveyer screws will also be operatingto convey the chips from one end of each cylinder to the other.

It is to be noted that each shaft 3, 4; and 5 is hollow and theterminals thereof are projected beyond the standards in which they aremounted. A steam pipe 17 is connected to one end of the hollow shaft 3and this steam pipe supplies the interior of the shaft with steam sothat the screw conveyer 6 within the cylinder 7 is thoroughly heated forassisting in the drying process while the chips are passing through thecylinder. At the opposite end of both of the shafts 3 and 4, suitableelbow fittings are secured and these elbows are connected together by aconnecting pipe 18 which serves to conduct the steam from the interiorof the shaft 3 and the interior of the shaft 4; thereby heating thescrew conveyer within the cylinder 8. The opposite end of the hollowshaft 4 is connected, through the medium of a connecting pipe 19, withthe corresponding end of the hollow shaft 5. The steam is permitted toescape from the opposite end of the hollow shaft 5 through a suitableexhaust pipe 20. I

' In operation it is first necessary to elevate the: chips through themedium of a suitable elevator B until the chips can be deposited in oneend of the uppermost cylinder 7. While the cylinders are in operationthe chips will be removed from one end of the uppermost cylinder to theother end thereof and conveyed through the conveyer duct 1% to theintermediate cylinder 8. After passing through this cylinder the chipswill pass into the lowermost cylinder 9 through the medium of theconveying duct 15. From the lowermost cylinder 9 the dried chips may bedeposited in a suitable receiver. C. The steam pipes 12 will, while thecylinders are rotating be subjected to the action of the steam, and thecylinders are thereby thoroughly heated from the exterior for faconveyors are mounted. This steam will heat the shafts in addition toheating the portions of the conveyer with which the chips contact whilepassing through the cylinders. In this manner heat is supplied from theinterior and the exterior thereby quickly drying the chips. 1Vhen thechips are ejected from the lowermost cylinder and deposited in theconveyer C they will be thoroughly dried and ready to be converted. intopulp.

From the foregoing it will be observed that a very simpleand'durablewood drying machine has been provided, the details of, which embody thepreferred form. I desire it to be understood however, that slightchanges in the minor details of construction may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claimshereunto appended.

I claim: v

1. A drying machine of the character described comprising a pluralityof. cylinders having centrally located hollow shafts extendingtherethrough, gearing mechanism associated with the cylinders forsimultaneously rotating the same, the said shafts being rotatable withthe cylinders, screw conveyers mounted upon the said shafts, steam pipesconnected to the ends of the shafts for providinga continuous circuitthrough the steam pipes and the hollow shafts and means for permittingthe contents of onecylinder to pass out of the end of the other cylinderinto the proximate end of the adjacent cyl inder. g

2. A drying machine of the character described comprising standards, aplurality ofhollow shafts having their ends supported the open ends ofthe cylinders, standards I receiving the ends of the shafts for supporting the same, conveyer screws mounted upon each of the said shafts, theinteriordiameter of each cylinder being slightly greater'than thediameterof the said screw conveyer, and a plurality of cleats carried bythe inner wall of each cylinder.

4L. A drying machine comprising a plurality of cylinders having hollowinteriors and provided with shafts extending beyond the open ends of thecylinders, standards receiving the ends of the shafts for supporting thesame, conveyer screws mounted upon each of the said shafts, the interiordiameter of each cylinder being slightly greater than the diameter ofthe said screw conveyer, a plurality of cleats carried by the inner wallof each cylinder, the said shafts being of hollow cylindrical formation,connecting pipes for joining the proximate ends of certain of the saidshafts whereby a continu- 10 ous passage may be established between thehollow shafts and the said pipes, and a steam supply pipe connected toone end of one of the'said shafts.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

- Washington, D. G.

